Cold weather goggles



I Il /3 l 4 Chefrk CYOff TTOR NEY 2, 1952 w. R. cHRls-rENsEN ErAL COLD WEATHER GOGGLES Filed June 8, 194.9

Patented Dec. 2, 1952 COLD WEATHER GOGGLES William R. Christensen, Newton Highlands, and Chester E. Cross, East Sandwich, Mass.

Application June 8, 1949, Serial No. 97,863

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) 6 Claims.

The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to an improvement in goggles structure and, more particularly, toy an improvement in anti-fogging and anti-frosting goggles structure.

It has heretofore been known that a goggles structure to be used under conditions of low ambient temperatures operates more efciently when a continuous new air flow is produced, through either the goggle lens or the goggles frame. It has been discovered, however, that enclosed goggles lens may be made to perform Without detrimental fogging and frosting under low temperatures when the goggles are airtight and have no renewal of fresh air from an outside source.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved means for cooling and dehumidifying the air within the space confined by the eyecups of a goggles to lessen or prevent fogging or frosting of the lens of the goggles in cold weather.

It is another object oi this invention to provide an improved goggles in which dehumidication and cooling of the air trapped in the frame behind the lens is aieoted by means of condensers.

It is a further object of this invention to prowill be readily apparent from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a front elevational View of a gogglesl structure embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View, on line 2-2, of Fig. 1; and

Figure 3 is an exploded fragmentary perspective View of a goggles condenser.

Referring to the drawings, goggles frame IB is of a conventional character, having the usual face-contacting side I I and a conventional lensholding bead I2, connected together by a web I3.

The bead I2, being of conventional character, is of flexible nature and is provided with a groove I4, within which is adapted to be fitted a conventional lens I5. The lens I5 is further secured within the groove I4 and held to the goggles frame by conventional snap fasteners I6. The goggles frame I0 is further provided with a conventional head strap Il, threaded through ears or lugs I8 and secured in the T-grooves I9 of lens I5 in conventional manner. Further, the frame structure IB is provided with a exible nose covering 2) and additional padding II', of chamois or the like, secured to the side portion I I by a suitable rubber adhesive material or the like.

Sealed at their lower edges in the top side of the web I3 are a plurality of air cooled condensers 2I which are formed from thin, ileXible metallic sheeting 22, folded or bent to provide a plurality of accordion-like oppositely disposed uniformly spaced internal vertical fins 23 (Fig. 3) on the front and rear Walls the inner ends of which iins are closely spaced. There is likewise formed, by bends or accordion folds in the strip 22 a plurality of external vertical fins 24, positioned at uniformly spaced intervals across the front side of the condensers 2I. Similar ns 24 are provided at thel ends of condensers 2I, the sides of the forward fins 24 being spaced from each other and positioned in alignment with the spaces between the inner ends of internal fins 23 at the approximate center of the condensers. The strip 22 is shaped into rectangular box-like form, as shown in Fig. 3, and its overlapping ends are sealed by soldering or a suitable rubber or resinous adhesive. A cover plate 23 is sealed 4in the same manner to the top edges of the side walls of the condenser to provide an airtight chamber through which air may circulate from the goggles cavities in the manner hereinafter described.

Positioned within the condensers 2|, between the vertical fins 23 and supported by ns 24', is a partition platev 25 extending approximately three quarters of the vertical height of condensers 2l. This partition plate 25 also extends at its lower end 25 slightly below the bottom edge of condenser 2I and is further provided with lateral edge portions 25, which fit between the sides of fins 24 to hold the partition in position.

In order to position the condensers 2| in the goggles frame I0, there is provided in the web I3, a plurality of rectangular slots or openings 2G for receiving the bottom edge of the condensers and grooves a 24', as shown in Fig. 3. Further to provide a smooth fit between condenser 2l and web I3 on the front side of the frame l the lower ends of front ns 24 are cut at a point spaced from the bottom edge of the condenser a distance approximately equal to the depth to which the condensers 2l are to be inserted within the rib I3. The severed lower ends of the ns 24 are folded against the rectangular side of the condenser body as illustrated by 2i in Fig. 3.

The condensers 2l are sealed in the openings inV web i3 by an appropriate adhesive in the nature of rubber, resin, cellulose acetate, or the like. A transparent partition 2l is mounted within the eyecup portions of the goggles frame and rests against the lower end 25 of partition plate 25 along its upper edge while its lower edge rests against the inner edge of bead I2. A sponge rubber molding 28 is provided between the side l! of goggles frame lil and partition 2l. The partition 2l is provided adjacent its lower edge with a plurality of openings 2S which permit circulation of air as hereinafter described.

With the lower edges 2l of the condenser structures 2l tted and sealed in openings 26, and the partition El mounted in the manner described, the goggles frame l@ is adapted to be iitted tightly about the eyes of the wearer. When so fitted, the interior heating of the eyecup portions of the goggles causes internal convection currents to conduct moisture-laden warm air from the area adjacent to the eyes into the rear portion ci the condenser-s t l. By reason of the comparative coolness of condenser-s 2l and the high thermal conductivity of the internal and external vertical hns 23, 2t and 2e', a rapid change of temperature in the air current is induced. This change of temperature causes condensation of the moisture contained in the air, which deposits on the interior of the condenser walls and internal fins 23. Theair is thus relieved of its moisture as it rises by virtue of convection currents therein and flows over the partition plate 25, whence it passes downwardly past the front ns into the space 30 provided between lens l5 and partition 2l. With the openings 28 being provided substantially across the full length of the lower portion of the partition 21, the air continues to move out of the space 3E) between the lenses into the area about the eyes, termed the eyecup cavity, where it again is heated absorbs moisture and repeats the cycle of flow through the condensers 2 l With the apparatus thus described it will be obvious that a continuous internal -air-circulating means has been provided, which rapidly and readily removes moisture from the air contained within the goggles cavity. This removal of moisture prevents its condensation on the goggles lenses, and thereby permits the wearer to have clear, unobstructed vision for relatively long periods or time. In actual tests, it was found that this type of goggle structure remained clear from fogging and frost deposits under the following conditions:

for receiving the ns l. 'For periods of one hour tests, at 6 and a 3 M. P. H. wind;

2. For 60 and 1GO minute tests, at minus 10 F. in

a 3 M. P. H. wind;

3. For 52 minutes at minus 48 F. in a 3.5 M. P. H.

wind; and

4. For 29 minutes, at 60 F. in a 3.5 M. P. H.

wind

4 Whereas available commercial goggle structures become foggy and frosty almost immediately when subjected to similar conditions.

Broadly, it may be indicated that the structure, as above described, provides a plurality of air-tight condensers on a goggles structure with substantial heat conducting and contact surface area for air entrapped within a closed goggles frame. Further, that the condenser units may be molded with, or formed as la separate attachable unit of suitable heat conductive material or materials, in the nature of copper, brass, aluminum and the like, or otherwise of less heat conductive materials in the nature of thermoplastic resins and the like. In addition, one or more of the `units may be utilized with the goggles frame structure by suitable enlargement and arrangement on or with the goggles eyecup cavities, with or without some sacrifice of structure iiexibility.

In accordance with the patent statutes, the foregoing is a description in detail of what is now considered to be the preferred form of the invention, but it will be obvious that various changes may be made in the structural details without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended that all such changes be included within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

l. In an anti-fogging and anti-frosting goggles having a liexible lens and a flexible frame to hold the lens and to cooperate therewith and with the face of a wearer of the goggles to isolate a substantially sealed space around the eyes of the wearer, means for maintaining a flow of relatively cold dry air adjacent the inner side of said lens including one or more air dehumidifying and cooling condensers projecting outwardly from said frame in sealed relation thereto, said condensers having an air cooling and moisture condensing passageway arranged to maintain `a, convectional flow of air from :and to the sealed space when the goggles are worn for cooling and dehumidifying the air, the discharge from said passages being adjacent -the inner side of said lens.

2. In an anti-fogging :and anti-frosting goggles having a flexible lens and a flexible frame for holding the lens and for cooperating therewith and with the face of a wearer to isolate a sealed space around the eyes of the wearer, air dehumidifying and cooling condensers along one edge of said frame, each of said condensers comprising a housing having an open end sealed in an aperture in said frame, partitioning means to denne a plurality of vertical passages in the housing intercommunicating adjacent their upper ends and air deilecting means cooperating with the partitioning means in said condenser and with said lens to eiect convectional ow of air from the space in the goggles containing air adjacent to and warmed by contact with the wearers face through the condensers :and along the inner side of said lens back to the said warmed lair space in the goggles at a point spaced from the condenser.

3. In an `anti-tagging and anti-frosting goggles having a eXible lens `and a iieXible frame for holding the lens and for cooperating ltherewith and with the face of a wearer of the goggles to dei-lne a substantially sealed space around the eyes of the wearer, a transparent partition in said frame cooperating with the lens to denne a relatively narrow space behind the said lens communicating ladjacent one edge of the frame with the portion of said sealed space containing air in contact with the wearers face, and one or more air dehumidifying and cooling condensers sealed in and projecting outwardly from one side of said frame, said condensers having air cooling and moisture condensing passageways arranged to maintain a convectional flow of air from and to the sealed space when the goggles are Worn for cooling Vand dehumidifying the air, the discharge end of said passages communicating with said narrow space opposite the place at which the two spaces in the frame are in communication.

4. In an anti-iogging and anti-frosting goggles having -a ilexible lens and a flexible frame for holding the lens and for cooperating therewith 'and with the face of a we-arer of the goggles to define a sealed space around the eyes of the wearer, a transparent partition cooperating with the lens to dene :a closed space to the rear of the said lens communicating adjacent its lower end with the space behind the partition, a plurality of air dehumidifying and cooling condensers sealed in and projecting upwardlyk from the top side of said frame, said condensers each having vertically extending passageways intercommunicating adjacent their upper ends only, certain of said passages communicating at their lower ends with the space behind the partition containing air warmed by contact with the wearers face so that convectional currents of warmed air rise into the condenser through said passages and other of said passages communicating at their lower ends with the space between the lens and partition for directing cooled and dehumidied air in the condenser downwardly into the space between said lens and partition.

5. In an anti-fogging and anti-frosting goggles having a flexible lens land a flexible frame for holding the lens and for cooperating therewith and with the face of a wearer of the goggles to denne a sealed space around the eyes of the wearer, a transparent partition cooperating with the lens to define a closed space to the rear of the said lens communicating adjacent its lower end with the space behind the partition, a plurality of air dehumidfying and cooling condensers sealed in and projecting upwardly from the top side of said frame, said condensers each having vertically extending passages intercommunicating adjacent their upper ends only, certain of said passages communicating at their lower ends with the space behind the partition containing lair warmed by contact with the wearers face so that convectional currents of warmed air rise into the condenser through said passages and other of said passages communicating at their lower ends with the space between the lens and partition for directing cooled and dehumidifed air in the condenser downwardly into the space between said lens and partition, said condensers each being short in extent relative to the longitudinal extent of the top side of said frame and being spaced from each other so that ilexibility of the frame is not appreciably diminished thereby.

6. In an `anti-foggng and anti-frosting goggles having a flexible lens and :a flexible frame for holding the lens and for cooperating therewith and with the face of a wearer of the goggles to dene a substantially sealed space around the eyes of the wearer, a transparent partition in said frame cooperating with the lens to define a narrow space behind the same communicating with the space inl said frame to the rear .thereof containing air in contact with the wearers face adjacent the bottom of the frame, one or more air dehumidifying and cooling condensers projecting upwardly from the top side of said frame in sealed relation thereto, said condensers each comprising a generally rectangular box-like housing of relatively thin sheet material bent to form ra plurality of heat exchanging external and internal fins, the inner ends of the internal ns being relatively closely spaced, and a partition disposed between the inner ends of said internal fins, the latter and said transparent partition cooperating to denne a plurality of air cooling and moisture condensing passages in said housing intercommunicating adjacent the upper end of the latter through which warm air convectionally flows upwardly from the space in said frame containing air warmed by contact with the wearers face and downwardly into the narrow space upon cooling.

WILLIAM R. CHRISTENSEN. CHESTER E. CROSS.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Fraser Feb. 13, 1934 Number 

